Israeli official: We are not ready for two battlegrounds
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The failure of "Israel" with all of its systems "should have been the title of the report," according to an Israeli security official.
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Fire and smoke around buildings in Gaza during Israeli strikes on March 25, 2019 (AFP)
On Thursday, a former member of the Shin Bet commented on the violent confrontations that took place in cities inhabited by Palestinians and occupied by Israelis.
The confrontations coincided with "Israel" launching a military operation on the Gaza border, where Hamas launched rockets on internal areas in response to "Israel's" violent incursions and aggression.
According to Israeli news outlet Maariv, security official Lior Lotan noted that the "intensity of the internal explosion was really surprising and the Shin Bet did not give prior warning to it."
He continued, "It is important to point out the extensive involvement of criminal elements in the matter, which is not within the scope of the Shin Bet's responsibility."
According to the official, the comptroller should have titled his report “The failure of the State of Israel with all of its systems,” pointing to a report issued in 2018 related to the police’s mishandling of "loose weapon circulation in Arab society, which was met with inaction and floppiness" in its implementation.
"Dust piled up on the issue as was the case with previous reports issued by the state's comptroller," he said.
In response to the program’s presenters’ comment that “the Shin Bet does not cover the internal arena of Israeli citizens on a daily basis,” Lotan said, "This is absolutely not true. The Shin Bet works within its jurisdictions and according to the law, including with Israelis in everything related to terrorism and espionage..."
He added, "What was discovered, which is not new, is that the line of contact between national and criminal matters is very fine. The levels of cooperation between the Shin Bet and the police have improved significantly, but it is still far from being in the best condition."
The former security official ended his speech in a pessimistic tone when asked if "Israel" will be exposed soon to a similar scenario of violent confrontations at the internal level, and said, "Of course, we will have another campaign or war."
"In the next [military] campaign or war, events will take place internally - how strong will it be? I don't know. There is a high possibility that it will be a blazing internal [battleground], and its intensity will certainly reach unprecedented levels - and, is Israel ready for two battlegrounds? In my opinion, no."
The state's comptroller published a report containing severe criticism of the manner in which the police and Israeli intelligence dealt with "Operation Guardian of the Walls" last year, in addition to the wave of rights which erupted in Israeli-occupied Palestinian cities.
